Day 26: The Opening

from January 26, 2012

The Opening, a soft pastel on 6x6 white Wallis professional sanded paper.

1. Despite an injured thumb (that is wrapped in tape and protected from moisture and dust by a little finger condom-or cot, if you prefer the real name), I must create and complete a pastel today! Here I've blocked in a close-up view of a pink tulip showing the translucence of the petals and how the overlap decreases that capacity.

2. I really was having difficulty after laying in the first layer, as I used the softer pastels to accomplish that, which quickly fill up the tooth of the paper. Having a stubborn streak a mile wide helps me get to places where I can ultimately overcome those issues. Saturating the composition with SpectraFix certainly helps settle the particles into the crevices and gives me a chance to add more pastel.

3. I pulled out some of my NuPastels to add some light dusting of a variety of colors and stick-based blending. As I built up the color patterns on the petals, I used my little finger to accomplish the soft blending I wanted to achieve in each of the petals. I also worked in the reproductive organs of the tulip with both soft and hard pastels, as well as a few pollen granules that have fallen into the cup of the flower.

4. After only a few touches of color here and there in the petals, I applied heavy dabbles of color as the pollen granules and repaired some of the value issues in the center of the flower. I needed the brightness this flower brings on (yet another) dark day.